What They Said - RSL Matchweek 22

It was more of the same in Matchweek 22 as Al Hilal won again to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points.

They had to come from behind to do it, however, eventually getting the better of Al Ittihad 3-1 in another thrilling Saudi Clasico.

Elsewhere, Al Nassr were involved in a see-saw eight-goal encounter against Al Hazem, and Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq got back to winning ways.

This is the best of the reaction from another action-packed round of the Roshn Saudi League.

Al Hilal made it 20 wins from 22 matches with a big 3-1 win over arch-rivals Al Ittihad at their new home, Kingdom Arena, thanks to goals from Saleh Al Shehri, Malcom and Saud Abdulhamid. Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves shared his joy on Instagram after the game.

“One more win 😍 the classico is blue again 💙 well done boys 💪🏼”

The other big story of the weekend was the Saudi Arabia Football Federation officially launching their bid for the FIFA World Cup 2034. Under the slogan of ‘Growing. Together’, the bid promises the world the best World Cup in history - and it has the full support of Al Ahli’s superstar midfielder, Riyad Mahrez.

“It’s an honour to be part of this wonderful and ambitious project. When I first came here my aim was to help the league grow. It’s a privilege to be part of this; we are super happy and we’re waiting for all that will happen in this country. This World Cup will be one of the best ever - they will organise it in the best way possible. They have the capacity to do so. It’s going to be a long time [away], but it will happen.”

Likewise, Al Hilal striker Al Shehri described it as a “dream come true”… even if he might be a little old to feature for the hosts in the tournament.

“We are very proud as citizens and as players, this is like a dream coming true. Especially when we saw the last World Cup in Qatar, our neighbours, how they hosted. I wish we are going to do a better job hosting the World Cup and I can believe with the ambition of the King and the Crown Prince it’s absolutely going to be amazing. [But] I’m going to be old, so I am not sure I’m going to be playing at that time.”

Al Nassr were without Cristiano Ronaldo and, despite a hat-trick from Brazilian star Anderson Talisca, they were held to a dramatic 4-4 draw with relegation-threatened Al Hazem. Speaking after the game, Talisca described the result as being like a defeat.

“The game, it feels like a loss for us. Defensively, the whole group, every player, we didn’t do a good performance. We need to fix this. I think that a team like ours scoring and conceding four goals, it’s a little bit confusing. We have to raise our heads up; the league is not finished yet. This is the most important. We are going to keep fighting until the end.”

On the flip side, it was a valuable point for Al Hazem, who entered the round in last spot in the RSL as they fight to avoid relegation. Their captain, Portuguese midfielder Toze, described the result as “amazing” for his team.

“It was an amazing game. To draw 4-4 here, even for the public, the people watching the game on TV, was very good and very exciting. It’s a very important point for us to reach our target. Of course, to draw here against one of the biggest teams in Saudi Arabia, it’s amazing for us."

Al Khaleej’s winless run extended to four games, but the 0-0 against a rejuvenated Al Shabab is still an important point as they look to guarantee their place in the league next season. For winger Fabio Martins, he reminded on Instagram that the match holds extra significance given Al Shabab were the first club he joined in Saudi Arabia back in the 2020-21 season.

“A game that is always special for me and one in which we try everything to win, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. An important point in our battle, against a great team, and now, let’s start thinking about the next game, which being the next one, is always the most important 🙏🏽 Yalla 💚💛”

Al Ettifaq made it two wins from three since the return of the league in February with a 2-0 win on the road at 10-man Damac, although manager Gerrard admitted there was still room for improvement. He’ll look for that next up, when his side face Abha looking to continue their recent resurgence.

“We knew we were in for a tough challenge against a team that is above us in the table. Our performance was great against 11 men, but we weren’t as good after their red card. I’m delighted that we earned six points from the last nine and performed well against the leaders. I have respect for Abha, but we face them at home, and we are going to play for the win.”